And so ends the most recent — and rather large — upswing in diesel prices seen in late January and all of February, as the national average diesel price fell in the week ended March 3 one-tenth of a cent to $4.016, according to the Department of Energy.

The national average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel in the week ended Feb. 24 breached $4 for the first time since the week ended March 25, 2013, according to the DOE, who reported the price of diesel rose 2.8 cents nationally to $4.017.

OOIDA says increased fuel economy standards will drive up the price of new trucks, while one trucking researcher says the cost of overall truck ownership will drop, despite the price increase. Truck makers, too, say they support increasing fuel use standards for trucks.

The national average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel continued its recently began steep climb in the week ended Feb. 18, edging close to the $4 mark – a threshold it hasn't been over since the week ended March 25.

The Department of Energy has once again upwardly revised its forecast for 2014's average diesel price, pushing it up another 2 cents to $3.83 — still a 9-cent drop from 2013's average — in its Short Term Energy Outlook. 2015's price is expected to fall a dime, too.

The national average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel jumped again in the week ended Feb. 10, rising 2.6 cents to $3.977. The price of diesel has now risen 10.4 cents in the last three weeks and has hit its highest point since the week ended Sept. 9's $3.981.